Stores braced for peak Christmas trading

Supermarkets are braced for one of their biggest ever trading days as consumers do their 'big shop' ahead of the festive long weekend.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Dec 2017, 06:00 BST
Heavy spending expectedHeavy spending expected
Heavy spending expected

Sainsbury’s expects Friday to be the best trading day in its history, with customers predicted to spend more than £160 million in store and online on their last major shop before Christmas Day.

The company expects to be delivering an online grocery order every second throughout the day on Friday between 7am and 11pm.

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Tesco expects to serve 15,000 customers every minute and is braced for more than 20 million people to shop in its stores over Friday and Saturday.

Tesco branches are stocked to sell 200,000 turkey crowns and birds on Friday alone, a total of 27 million Christmas carrots and 60 million British Brussels sprouts.

Kantar Worldpanel estimates UK shoppers will spend a record £4.2 billion on food and drink in the final week before Christmas, with Friday seeing the biggest single day of sales.

The predicted record-breaking sales are being driven by shoppers stocking up on supplies ahead of the long weekend of celebrations, with almost half of households (46%) planning to attend between two and three Christmas events over this time, a survey for Sainsbury’s found.

Related topics:Tesco